Tea
by Raiden Fayne
Summary: Alice is frustrated and angry because she never seems to get any tea! Yet, when the Hatter accuses her of a certain attraction, how will she take? A silly one shot I wrote about Alice in the Hatter not related to Wonderland .


**AshBreanne:**_ First of all, this is in NO way based on my recently completed fanfiction Wonderland. This is just a little one shot I wrote today after imagining an argument over Alice never getting any tea. Because, quite frankly, I would be pretty mad if someone continuously offered me a cup of tea yet never delivered. _;) Nevertheless, Alice is a young woman in this fic and there's the mention of Alice/Hatter. I hope you enjoy it!

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"You know," she said, taking a long blonde strand of hair and placing it behind her ear. "I often wonder why I even bother to come and visit you at all!"

The Hatter smiled in his ridiculously irking way and brought his teacup slowly to his lips.

"I think the answer to that is quite obvious, my dear," he said, after placing his cup down once again. "You see, you are hopelessly, inconceivably, wonderfully, miraculously, ridiculously, haphazardly, dangerously, selfishly, subconsciously attracted to-"

"To what?" she snapped. "To you, perhaps?"

He chuckled.

"Not necessarily what I was going to say, but if you insist…"

"No! No, I do not insist!"

Alice crossed her arms and glared at the impossible man next to her.

"I am in no way attracted to you!"

He shrugged.

"If you say so. Pity, though. But, as I was saying, you are hope-"

"Oh, get on with it!"

It wasn't like her to be so cross with him, but he really had begun to annoy her of late. And he took such delight in it! It only made her ever the more angry.

"You are attracted to my tea."

She scoffed.

"But that's just it! I haven't had a bloody cup of tea since I've met you!"

"Well then by all means have some!"

He picked up the nearest teapot and filled her cup with dark and steaming tea.

"Go on," he said. "Drink up!"

She watched him from the corner of her eye and picked up the cup slowly. Placing it at her lips, she looked towards him questionably. He only smiled and waited.

As she dipped the cup forwards, felt the steam begin to tickle her lip, the Hatter grabbed her hand and pulled her out of her seat, tea cup falling from her hand and crashing on the ground.

"Clean cup!" He yelled. "Move down!"

"Oh! Of all things!" Alice cried as he dragged her to a new seat. "You really are a _ridiculous _man!"

"Why thank you!"

"Hmph!"

They sat in silence, Alice purposefully not looking at him while he purposefully made a big deal about his wonderful tea.

"I only brew the finest ingredients, you know. No one else in Wonderland makes tea quite like I."

"You don't say," she said, bored.

"Nope, no one! The Duchess had her cook try once, but it just didn't quite turn out right. Too much pepper for my taste."

"Well, it has been lovely, Hatter, but I think I really should be going."

She stood to leave.

"Oh, but you can't leave yet!" The Hatter stood, countenance a bit put out. "We've only just begun!"

"Then you will have to finish alone, because I am leaving!"

She turned away and stalked off, annoyed and with no intentions of ever visiting that awful man again. But as she walked, she began to feel a bit lonely and remorseful. She hadn't truly meant to be so irritated with him. It was just he had been so obnoxious lately that she couldn't help but be cross. And now, as she moved farther and farther away, she began to feel guilty.

"Oh, alright!" she said to herself. "But it had better be worth it!"

With a sigh, she turned around and began making her way back.

The Hatter sat quietly, sipping his tea.

"Hatter?" she called, approaching carefully. "Hatter, I- I am sorry."

"Ah, Alice it is no matter."

"Oh, but it is, you see… I enjoy your company very much. Well, when you're not irking me."

He turned to look at her and smiled a small little smile.

"Admit it," he said. He was looking at her curiously and Alice wasn't quite sure what he meant.

"Admit what? That I am attracted to your tea? I don't see how I could possibly be attracted to something that I have never tired," she stated. "Why, it's impossible!"

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps it is not my tea that brings you back every other afternoon."

She took a seat next to him.

"I don't understand it. I never get any tea, I always leave annoyed and frustrated, yet I continue to come back."

The Hatter continued to smile.

"Deny it all you'd like, Alice dear, but I do think you are attracted to me."

He took a smug sip of tea as her mouth dropped and then closed to form her glare.

"That's- That's absurd! For the last time, I am NOT attracted to YOU!"

"Prove it," he stated. "Prove that you are not attracted to me. Prove it by staying away me."

Alice stared at the strange man in utter disbelief. Stay away from him? Well! If he did not want her company she _surely_ wasn't going to give it!

"Very well." She stood to leave.

"Goodbye then, Hatter."

And with that she took her leave while the Hatter continued to sip his tea with that mischievously knowing smile of his.

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"You know, Alice," The March Hare was saying. "It really has been several weeks since you visited. It's quite rude to ignore tea party invitations, you know!"

Alice looked up from the book she was reading and smiled sweetly at the Hare.

"I wish I could indulge you, I really do. But you see, I have to prove to the Hatt-"

"Oh, I know, I know! You would not _believe _how he goes on about it!"

She shut her book a bit more harshly than intended and leaned forward from the tree she had previously been leaning against.

"What does he say about it?"

"Oh, umm…" The Hare glanced around nervously. "Not much, really… Just… well, that you won't be able to stay away."

"What else?" Alice asked, suddenly angry.

"You know, maybe I should be getting back."

The March Hare bounded away, leaving Alice alone with her book. But by now she was much too angry to continue her reading. How dare he say such a thing? She _would_ prove him wrong! How could one be attracted to such a childish man, anyway? Really, he was worse than _she _was when she was seven!

She leaned back against the true and opened her book once more, but the words did not look like words to her. They didn't look much like anything, actually. Except…

Hats. The words in her book looked liked hats.

She slammed it shut.

"I have been reading for far too long," she said to no one. "A walk would do me good."

She set the book aside and stood, just as a voice called: "Ahoy! Ahoy! Check!" Throughout the forest.

"Alice! Alice is that you?"

She smiled as the White Knight stepped into view.

"Yes it is me!" she called. "It is good to see you," she said once he had approached.

"Aye, and you too."

"But, where is your horse?"

The Knight wiped a bit of sweat from his brown and sighed.

"He wouldn't follow me. He's been growing a bit stubborn lately. And lazy! Why, he hardly moves at all these days!"

Alice thought for a moment.

"Do you think all of your inventions are weighing him down too much?"

"Not likely," said the White Knight casually. "It's good to be prepared for things."

Alice made no comment and they began to walk in silence.

"I hear you've had some trouble with that Hatter fellow."

"Oh, yes," Alice said. Her good mood at seeing her old friend suddenly dropped. "It's the most absurd thing! You see, he _insists_ that I am attracted to him! So in order to prove him wrong, I am staying away."

"Hmmm. I invented a tea once. It wasn't too popular, though."

Alice chuckled.

"And why not?"

"I have no idea! I used the best food you can find to brew it with- because you know EAT is TEA rearranged a bit. But no one seemed to like it…"

They drifted into silence once more.

"Would you consider the Hatter your friend?"

"Well, yes…" she said carefully. "I mean, I do enjoy his company most of the time. When he's not purposefully giving me headaches or accusing me of ridiculous things."

"Don't you think," the Knight continued, "That you are going to miss him quite soon."

"I suppose so…"

"And don't you think he will begin to miss you?"

Alice was silent.

"I think," the Knight continued, "That you should consider how you really feel about the Hatter."

"Oh no, not you too!" she exclaimed. "Do you truly think I have feelings for that ridiculous excuse for a man?"

The Knight smiled.

"I'm sure I don't know. But either way, you are both going to miss each other soon."

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The White Knight was right.

As another week passed, Alice found that she missed the Hatter very much. She spent her afternoons reading or walking, as reading while one's mind is occupied is not an easy task. And she continued to see hats. Well, not _hats_ in general, but _his_ hat. In the corner of her eye she would see it, only to look and find nothing. When she closed her eyes at night she would think, for a moment, that she has seen it, just there in the corner. But there were never any hats upon examination. There was never no Hatter.

"Don't you think it's about time?" The March Hare asked. "He really hasn't been acting the same lately."

"I want to…" Alice replied. "I'm just…"

"Stubborn?"

She sighed.

"Yes. I am stubborn and… and a little scared."

"Just come by. It will do you both good."

And so Alice agreed to stop by the next afternoon.

When she approached the table he was seated so that his back was to her. The March Hare was not in sight and neither was the dormouse.

She took a seat next to him quietly, but he did not look at her.

"What brings you back?" he asked carefully, taking a long sip of tea.

"Well, I… I came to admit something."

He looked at her, eyebrow raised.

"And? What is it?"

She looked down and twiddled her thumbs in her lap. She hadn't done that since she was a little girl. Silently scolding herself for acting silly, she looked up at him and caught his eye.

"I came to admit that… I am attracted to your tea."

The Hatter smiled and clapped his hands.

"How delightful! I suppose I too should admit that, if you could brew tea, I am sure I would be quite attracted to it."

"Oh, but I do know how to brew tea," she offered.

"Now don't be silly, Alice! Not everybody can brew _delicious _tea! And quite frankly I think you are one of those every bodies."

"Why I never!" She exclaimed, perfectly offended. But instead of allowing herself to grow into a vicious rage, she forced herself to breathe and said nothing.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" The Hatter asked.

Alice took a deep breath.

"Yes," she said after a moment. "I would love a cup of tea."

"Wonderful! Now close your eyes!"

Instead of questioning him, Alice shut her eyes and waited. She could hear him grabbing a tea cup and pouring liquid into it. But then she felt his hands take hers and place them gently around the cup. It was warm to the touch, but not warm enough to burn. The Hatter did not let go of her hands. He pressed his tight against hers to insure that she did not drop it and then guided the cup to her lips.

Once there, she hesitated. But the Hatter squeezed her hands, urging her to sip.

And so she did, and for once Alice tasted tea.


End file.
